NTT DoCoMo Acquires Orix Credit

TOKYO, Mar 07 (News On Japan) - NTT Docomo has announced its acquisition of a majority stake in Orix Credit, a subsidiary of the financial services giant Orix Corporation.

Amid intensifying competition among major mobile carriers to create enclosed economic ecosystems, the company aims to strengthen its financial services business, including unsecured personal loans. According to the announcement, NTT Docomo will acquire 66% of the shares of Orix Credit and will make it a subsidiary by the end of this month.

Orix Credit specializes in personal loans, housing loans, and other services. Docomo plans to enhance its financial services business, including unsecured personal loans offered through smartphone apps, a venture it began in 2022.

Toshihiro Eto, the Chief of NTT Docomo's Smart Life Company, stated in a press conference, "We aim to have our customers use a wider range of financial services, including investments, loans, and insurance." Other major mobile carriers, such as KDDI and Rakuten, are already offering various financial services within their groups, including banking, securities, and insurance.

Docomo has been rapidly strengthening its financial business, having made Monex Securities a subsidiary in January of this year, intensifying the competition to create what is referred to as "economic spheres."

Source: NHK

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Morinaga Suspends Sales of Long-Selling Hi-Soft Caramels Due to Middle East Tensions

The impact of tensions in the Middle East is spreading to familiar snacks in Japan, with Morinaga & Co. temporarily suspending sales of some caramel products, including its long-selling Hi-Soft brand, after difficulties emerged in securing certain raw materials.

Nikkei Surges Over 2,200 Points as SoftBank Lifted by OpenAI IPO Report

The Nikkei Stock Average rebounded sharply on May 21st after falling below 60,000 at the previous day's close, briefly rising more than 2,200 points as hopes grew for progress in talks toward ending the fighting between the United States and Iran, while SoftBank Group gave the market a major boost following reports that OpenAI was preparing to file for an initial public offering.

Japan’s Oil Imports Collapse, Down 67.2% from Middle East in April

Japan’s imports of crude oil from the Middle East plunged 67.2% in April from a year earlier, as the impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz began to ripple through the country’s trade and energy supply chains.

Quantum Technology Used to Develop New Stock Index

Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Toshiba announced on May 20th that they had jointly developed a new stock index utilizing quantum technology.

TOTO Revamps London Showroom

TOTO, a major Japanese manufacturer of housing and bathroom equipment, reopened its showroom in London, England, on May 20th after undergoing its first major renovation in 16 years.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Trump Trades Hundreds of Millions of Yen in Kura Sushi USA Shares

U.S. President Donald Trump was found to have traded large amounts of stock, including shares in Kura Sushi USA, in a wave of more than 3,700 transactions over a three-month period that has sparked criticism over possible conflicts of interest.

Naphtha Shock Even Affecting Cheap Candy

As conflict in the Middle East drags on, shortages of naphtha — a key raw material used in a wide range of petroleum-based products — are beginning to affect even Japan's traditional cheap snacks, with manufacturers facing steep rises in packaging and material costs while trying to keep products affordable for children.

< 2 3 4 5 >